Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Ultreia La Claudina is a white that had a very slow fermentation. It has strong citrus aromatics, notes of lemon and lime, complicated by petrol-like aromas. It's more fruit driven and less spicy, and it was not a good year for flor (which occurs when the barrels are not topped up and the wine develops a thin veil of yeasts). With time in the glass it developed notes of chamomile and pollen, gaining in complexity but without reaching the subtleness of the 2017. It was a low-yielding vintage, and there are around 1,400 bottles.
-
Decanter
This is made from a blend of plots on clay and sand, with vines aged between 20 and 43 years. It's fermented in barrel, and 30% is aged for one year in barrels acquired from Didier Belondrade in Rueda. Aromas of grapefruit lead into a rich body with notes of tropical fruits, enlivened by brisk acidity. Fresh and very long. Drinking Window 2019 - 2022
Godello is native to northwest Spain and has experienced a major revival in the last 20 years. Godello wines are typically sleek and lightly creamy in texture. Barrel fermentation and lees stirring are typical in Valdeorras, Spain where the grape comes from. These winemaking techniques make the most of Godello's inherent structure and help bring out its lovely floral character. Somm Secret—DNA profiling says that Spain’s Godello is actually identical to the Portugese grape variety Gouveio, which grows throughout the Douro and Dão (where it used to mistakenly be called Verdelho).
One of the few northwestern Spanish regions with a focus on a red variety, Bierzo, part of Castilla y León, is home to the flowery and fruity Mencia grape. Mencia produces balanced and bright red wines full of strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, baking spice, pepper and black licorice. The well-drained soils of Bierzo are slate and granite.